Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-03-09
THE WAR TEETH OF FRANCE.
An Array Of 1.s50.O0O Men Ready To
Muster Under the TricOlOf.

RESUME OF THE LAND FORCES OF THE FRENCH RE
PUsLIc-RECESr STRENGTHENING OF THE ARTIL
LKRY.
Prom the New York World.
The army in France has from time immemoria
been the nations pride. No Frenchman can lool
back into hts countrys history. whose pages are
Inscribed the glorious names OF Rocroi, Fontenoy
Almanac Jemmapes, jena, Austerlitz and Wagram
without thrill OF exultation- To this sentiment
has been added since 1870 one OF deep-seatet
hatred and an Unsuitable thirst for revenge, and
the army, though beaten, has become greater fac
tor than ever In the nations existence, The Law
by which every Frenchman, unless incapacitatet
by bodily infirmities or few other set causes 4:
enrolled among the possible defenders Of his coun
Gy, was enacted July ~, 1872. BY its provisions
every unexempted citizen must render military
service first for five years in the regular army
then for nve years In the territorial army, and
nnally Tor six years In the reserve OF the lerrtOr
TAI army. In other words, France expects him 70
years OF his life.
Strange though II ma appear at first reading
ascrupulous enforcement OF the aboye-mentioned
law has enabled France TO maintain with ease
larger Standing army than her dangerous rival
over the Kline, for while the German forces on a
have 4S2, LAB men constantly under arms. This
enormous force Is divided into eighteen army
taion os os Oh , one oaS
OF cavalry one artillery brigade, battalion OF en-
gfneerS, three companies OF transport troops, &C.
kach corps Is assigned TO a particular region,
which it occupies permanently with all its wal
material In times OF peace, 80 that mobilization,
when ordered, becomes comparatively easy un-
The most formidable branch OF the French army
is and ever was the infantry. The Frenchman, by
reason OF his low stature, light weight agility and
muSculanty, Is peculiarly adapted to long
marches, perflous climbing, bayonet encounters
but up for 1 that by his other
good points. The Russians, who at the grand
kean of sebastopOl found it possible to repel the
stOd DattaliOnS or British foot soldiers, were un-
able TO defend the Malakhon against the swarm of
ninole ZouayeS who climbed up the sides OF Its
formidable earthwOrks Ike so many monkeys. The
best fighting in the war OF 1870 was undoubtedly
done by the pioupto, az the foot-soldier is play
fully termed by the pekts or civilian; even the
formed prodtg1es OF valo- then. There are IA
regiments OF the Ele the French army as at
present constituted-th ty 0attaiionS OF cnas-
seursI four zouave regiments, four Turco regt-
ments, two regiments OF the Foreign Legion, three
battalions OF light African infantry, four reg1-
ments OF fuSilferS and one regiment consisting OF
military cOnvictS doing pioneer duty. The entire
Infantry IS armed with the GraS breech-oad1ng
gun, an Improvement on the Chassepot; but the
government, in emulation OF the Germans, is al
ready taking steps TO replace that weapon Win
magazine gun
airy, although special attention has been paid TO
IL In the last few years The French have never
been good riders, and 10 make matters worse they
suffer from a dearth OF horses. AS result their
cavalry Is inferior numerically to Germany'S good
military authorities placing the number Of horse
men the latter country could send into the field at
the outbreak of the war at almost double that at
Frances disposal The French cavalry branch
consists OF twelve regiments OF cuirassiers
twenty-three OF Dragons twenty of chasse,rs q,
cher0i, twelve OF huSsars, four OF chasseurs
dAfriQue and three OF Spahis. The dragons and
light cavalry have been specially drilled In 1nfan-
try tactics OF late, as they are expected TO do
sktrmishing on foot and sharpShOOting. They are
spoken OF by the foreign critics who have at
tended recent French military maneuyers. The
system OF training horse soldiers for infantry
work was copied from the Russian army, where
the cavalry acts in both capacities and In addition
performs pioneer duties.
One OF the great truths France learned from the
war of 1870 was that without strong artillery no
extended military movement can be successfully
undertaken. This branch OF the service, therefore,
has since then received unragging care. At the
time OF writing, the French have actually 452
more mounted pieces than the Germans, the full
number Of guns in the French army being 1,s56
as against ], 4O4 in the German army. Their guns
are mostly OF the Bauge make, that is, they are
OF molten steel and are said 10 be superlOrin many
respects 10 those OF the Krupp pattern. There are
altogether nineteen regiments of field artillery
having twelve batteries apiece; nineteen regi-
ments OF eight field batteries and three-hOrse bat
tereS sixteen batteries OF heavy artillery or six
batteries each Two regiments OF bridge batteries;
three rocket companies, twelve Algerian batteries
and six mountain batteries. The engineer CORPS
consists OF four regiments Of sappers and miners,
with several railroad companies and the commits
sariat department. OF thirty Two SGuadronS twenty
being stationed in France and the remainder In
Algeria
Somuch for the regular army The territorial
army which is a sort Of reserve includes troops OF
all arms and Is composed of 145 regiments OF in
fantry and II zOuaves, "A sluadrons Of cavalry
and OF Algerian hOrseuen, IS regiments OF ar
ullery, with l3 field batteries in Algeria; 80 COM
panies OF artillery transport corps, Is battalOns
OF engineers and Is SquadrOnS OF regular cOmmissa
nat ana u troops The total effective
and $4,000 men. 1--we add TO this number the
$50 900 regular troops. which includes the reserve
the force in Algeria, numbering $1,000 men, the
house and foreSters' batJalions of 20 COO we find
That over one and three-quarter million men
could De placed under arms In defense OF the
country.
Few innovations have been made I'm the uni.
forImty OF the French army. The gay little foot
soldier still sports blue tunic, with vernilion
epauletS and cardinal trousers; the chaSSeur has
his azure coat and the cuiIassier his bright COM
oinatlon OF metal, blue and Indian red. The re-
peated efforts TO diminish the soldiers liability TO
De made all easy target OF by adopting less SNOWY
coilf have always Jailed, on the argument that
o. roDoing MIN OF bis gGFdnce pants, one would
violate one OF the most sacred traditions OF French
military history. Recently, however, the war de-
partment went far enough TO give each soldier a
set OF pockets, whereat many Old vets" are CLASH
ing their hands in holy horror.
The French general stan Is organized somewhat
Inherently from that or other countries By a law
introduced III 1850 The Old Staff, numbering ala
onlcers was dissolved and new one was formed
10 which every off1cer having followed a special
course al IA hi--h miIit y chool and obtainin,
there general stan" b. wet or Diploma can hes
CHOSEN oy the minister OF war. All officers above
The grade or captain are entitled the privilege OF
undergoing the examination without nrst follow
Ing the special course, and such as are NOT
SeIected subsequently 10 join the general stan are
placed On the reserve list for future call The
effective OF the new staff Is 300 officers l5O srchi
visits or clerks and IL geogrlphiSIS
In numbers, diScipiine and HoserieI the French
army probably stands at present scarcely second
10 even The German; but where is the man who
shall lead these brave soldiers against the enenvs
such Is the question modern Frenchmpn ask theIn
selves They cast their glances over the Rhine
and see there many tined commander at the head
or OerInany'S legfonS- On their own side the LIST
Is painfully small Canrobert, ChanZy AurelIes,
de Paladin+, Winp1en and many other brave lead
ers OF the Last struggle have passed away Ma
Aahon still remains, but his fatal errors in ISM
and above all his reactiOnary leanings, have long
since relegated him 10 the background Faidherhse
who St Bapaume Inflicted on the Prllsssians one n,
the few defeats they experienced during thai
bloody campaign. has for years been a helnless
invalid There remain, therefore but SauIster
commandant OF Paris and ccmmander-tn-chief of
the French army, In case OF war; Neprier the
nero OF TOnquin, and last, but not least Gen BoI
LANCER, present minister OF war-all three corn no
paraliveiy untrfed soldiers OF course great or,
pOrtuniteS often make great men, and B0uIanger
" some as yet unknown oliicer may vroye a ser
ond Napo o b IA >t-rt EFF 9 the end of another
branco-Gerinan war. But whatever the final ont
come OF such conflict may be, the Germans can
nS2 assured that with huge chain OF forts 20
reno as1ndtr and over million brave soldiers IN
overcome, Their task next time Will as little re-
sSmDle the -wafk-over" OF 1870 as the recent half
breed rebellion In the northwest rtssemhiesi Our